medieval cities
TRANSCRIPT
The Growth of Medieval Cities
What were Medieval Cities Like?
• Surrounded by thick stone walls
• Narrow streets
• Crowded squares
• Unpleasant smells
How Feudalism slowly died!The King
The Lords
Anyone could become a Knight so it wasn’t prestigious anymore!
Magna Carta – Forced the King to Recognize he was subject to laws
The Black Death Killed off peasants forcing to pay in cash & growing cities meant villeins escaped
Knights
Peasants
The Lords
Peasants
Why did Medieval Cities Grow?
• Merchant class started appearing
• When towns grew merchants grew
• Town populations swelled
What were guilds?
• Merchant Guilds- people who sold things. Shop owners, businesses, and stores.
• Craft Guilds- people who made things. Cobblers, Blacksmiths, etc
The Stages of a Merchant
• Apprentices The period of apprenticeship lasted for 2-7 years, after which time the apprentice became a journeyman.
• Journeymen The term has nothing to do with traveling; it comes from the French "journee", (day), and meant that the journeyman was paid by the day for his work.
• Masters. After several years as a journeyman the craftsman would submit a piece of his best work to the guild for approval. If this "master-piece" was accepted he could become a master craftsman and own his own shop.
Medieval Streets
• All repairs to streets were the responsibility of house owners
• Streets were built right upon one another• Roads were narrow• Traffic moved slowly• There was usually a toll to enter the city
which could be paid with things instead of money
Cleanliness
• Streets were nasty
• Gutters ran along the sides or down the center of streets.
• Many horse stables opened out onto the streets and muck heaps piled up.
• People often threw dirty water out of windows in the general direction of the drains.
Criminals in Medieval Towns
• Law Enforcement. Law and order in the town was enforced by the beadle or constables
• Night Watch. If a "hue and cry" was raised to chase a criminal all citizens had to join in or risk being fined.
Sanctuary
• If a fugitive managed to reach a church they could claim the right of sanctuary there for a period of 40 days. At any one time in the Middle Ages it has been estimated that there were as many as 1000 people in sanctuary throughout England.
• Some Churches gave sanctuary up to 2 miles surrounding the Church (like in the town of Beverly)
Sanctuary
Sanctuary in Beverly
How Were Criminals Punished?
• Most crimes were punished by some form of physical punishment at the least
• Prisons were used only to keep someone before they could go to trial, not as punishment
• If you stole something, you could be put to death
How Were Criminals Punished?
The Curfew Bell
• Curfews were imposed in towns to keep the peace.
• Originally the "curfew bell" was rung at 8 or 9 o'clock in the evening to indicate that it was time for smiths, brewers, and taverners to cease their working day.
• Anyone out after 9pm after that had to carry a light and have a good excuse for being out.
• People couldn’t carry weapons around at night, especially if they were from out of town.
Fire in the Cities
• Because the buildings were made of wood and buildings were close to one another, fires broke out often.
• Wood was way cheaper than brick• Everyone had to keep a large container of water
outside their house in case fire broke out• If there was a fire, everyone in the city was
expected to come running and help put it out.
The City Day
• The day officially began with the ringing of the Angelus bell at 4 or 5 in the morning.
• Most shops opened at 6 AM, providing plenty of early morning shopping before the first meal of the day at 9 or 10 AM.
• Morning was when most selling took place
• Most shops closed up by 3pm
Markets
• Markets were noisy, raucous affairs. Merchants had to "cry the wares" as their only means of advertising, and some had to be fined for forcibly grabbing hold of passers-by in their enthusiasm to make a sale.
Bells and Criers
• Bells were the main medium of telling time and making announcements. A Common Bell was rung to summon civic meetings, courts, and as an alarm in case of fire or attack.
• The town crier rang a hand bell when he walked throughout the town declaiming news and proclamations.
• The criers were the main source of news for town dwellers.
• They also had the task of ringing their bells to solicit prayers in memory of people who had paid for the privilege.
Middle Ages
Medieval Middle Class• A new class of
merchants, traders, and artisans who arose in Europe in the late Middle Ages
Magna CartaMagna Carta
• England’s King John I was forced by his nobles to sign a document granting them legal rights in 1215.
• Document shaped British government and American ideals of liberty and justice
Black PlagueBlack Plague
• Also known as the “Black Death” or bubonic plague
• Spread from China, India, and the Middle East to Europe in 1347
• Resulted in starvation, riots, and economic collapse